Jon Perry met with the media Thursday for the first time since being named Navy men’s basketball coach, via a news conference on Zoom.
Perry thanked Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk for promoting him from associate head coach and predecessor Ed DeChellis for supporting his candidacy for the full-time job.
“I want to sincerely thank Chet Gladchuk for the trust and belief in my vision of this program,” Perry said. “I’m also deeply grateful to Coach DeChellis, whose leadership, mentorship and friendship have shaped so much of who I am as a husband, as a father and as a basketball coach. It is a privilege to follow in his footsteps and continue building on the incredible foundation he has laid over the past 14 years.”
Perry spent a total of 29 seasons either playing for or coaching with DeChellis. He played for DeChellis at East Tennessee State, where he began his coaching career as a graduate assistan. He then followed DeChellis to Penn State and Navy.
So it was no surprise to hear Perry say the foundational principles of Navy basketball will not change.
“The big three are still the big three. We’re going to continue to defend, rebound and take care of the ball. I wake up in the middle of the night and I’m saying that in my sleep,” Perry said. “It works. The game favors the aggressor. We are always going to be the aggressor, and that starts on the defensive end.
“The values, the brotherhood, what we stand for don’t change. That’s toughness, accountability, loyalty, trust and a larger purpose. I’m a joy of winning type of guy. I think basketball is meant to be fun. I want us to have joy in everything we do. Energy is also important to me. I’m a high energy guy, a guy that wants to have engagement and interaction.”
DeChellis announced his retirement after 14 years as Navy coach on March 19 and Gladchuk tabbed Perry to lead the program on an interim basis. It is unknown whether Navy conducted a national search or any interviews before Gladchuk decided to give Perry the job full time.
Navy men’s basketball players were lifting weights Tuesday afternoon when members of the coaching staff came in and announced there would be a meeting for student athletes.
Gladchuk announced the news of Perry’s promotion and the players cheered.
“It was a special moment for me and the players were excited. A lot of hugs, a lot of smiles,” Perry said.
Navy is coming off a spirited run to the Patriot League championship game, upsetting fourth-seeded Boston University and top-seeded Bucknell before falling to second-seeded American. The Midshipmen are set to return four of five starters and four key reserves.
Perry highlighted that Navy will have six, possibly seven, seniors to provide leadership and noted that starters Jordan Pennick and Jinwoo Kim led a strong group of sophomores.
“I think this momentum that we’re carrying from this past season into the spring, summer and fall is just going to continue to roll,” Perry said. “We’re going to be one of the oldest teams in the Patriot League. We’re going to have a lot of experience coming back.”
Gladchuk expressed confidence the Midshipmen could contend for the Patriot League Tournament title. Navy reached the Patriot League Tournament final twice under DeChellis and came up short. Perry would love to get the Midshipmen over the top in his first season at the helm.
“We all know what the goal is. Our motto is to finish the job,” he said. “There is nothing better than watching these young guys climb up a ladder and cut down a net. That’s what I want them to experience. That’s what we’re chasing.”
Perry will need to make additions to his coaching staff. Emmett Davis, who also held the title of associate head coach, announced his retirement from coaching earlier this week after 40 years, 22 at Navy. Davis spent the past 10 seasons working for DeChellis.
“We’re really going to miss Coach Davis. He was a huge part of the success we’ve had here at Navy. Just a tremendous coach and even better person,” Perry said.
Perry intends to retain the remaining assistants — Jordan Lyons, Jaren Marino and Brett Barron. He said those three will have input into filling the two staff vacancies.
Navy’s best player, point guard Austin Benigni, has entered the transfer portal. Perry believes his promotion and the staff continuity will help convince the first team All-Patriot League performer to remain at the Naval Academy.
“Austin and I have a great relationship. He has great relationships with Jarren, Jordan and Brett as well,” Perry said. “We’re going to help support him day by day, go through the process and see where it goes.”
Navy’s staff spent two weeks between DeChellis’ retirement and Perry’s promotion recruiting. Perry said the Midshipmen have four direct-entry recruits and eight others heading to the Naval Academy Prep School and that all remain “onboard.”
“I think our recruiting class may be one of the best since we’ve been here,” he said.
Perry conducted Thursday’s Zoom news conference from the desk in the head coach’s office, having recently moved in there from his office on the second floor of Ricketts Hall. “It is a very surreal feeling sitting here in this seat,” he said.
However, Perry has been prepared for the prospect of succeeding DeChellis as head coach ever since Sept. 28, 2020. That was the day DeChellis suffered a stroke and was hospitalized.
“Chet gave me a call and said ‘hold the program together, be the glue. I trust you and believe in you.’ Those words were powerful for me,” Perry said. “To be inserted in that moment, I started believing in myself because someone believed in me.”
As a first-time head coach, Perry has the luxury of leaning on DeChellis for advice. They have been texting back-and-forth regularly and Perry joked that he’s trying to talk DeChellis into delaying his move to a vacation home in Charleston, South Carolina.
DeChellis conceived the idea of the Veterans Classic and has used his deep ties in college basketball to put together the field. He will remain involved with organizing the event that brings three nonconference opponents to the Naval Academy for an unforgettable experience.
“Coach is still involved. This morning I got up and shot him a text at 5:45. He got back to me at 6 a.m. He’s going to be there and I’m forever grateful for that,” Perry said.
Gladchuk, who announced his pending retirement on Monday morning, acknowledged that his successor will conduct their own evaluation of the Navy men’s basketball program and Perry’s performance. That sets up the prospect this will be a one-year audition for Perry, who must prove to the new Navy athletic director he deserves to remain head coach beyond 2025-26.
“I welcome the challenge. I love it. I’m going to outwork everybody and we’re just going to keep doing what we do and we’ll see where things go,” he said.
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